English 120

MWF 10:00

"A-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-I-j-k-l-m-n-o-p...," Kevin sang as he played with his toy trucks.

"What does that mean?" asked Melanie.

"Those are my A-B-C’s, my teacher taught them to me in preschool, don’t you know them yet?"

"No, I don’t go to preschool."

Preschool is an important and a necessary program for every young child. They learn many important things that will ultimately benefit them. They are enriched in areas such as self esteem, social, emotional, physical and academic skills. It is important for children to learn these things while they are young so that they can improve their futures. "A good quality preschool is an asset to a child’s development. Several studies have determined that a quality preschool experience lays the groundwork for a child to acquire the necessary skills to succeed in school and in life."(WC #5) If children don’t attend preschool, they will be behind their classmates when they begin elementary school, so they lack the many abilities they missed out having a chance to develop. Preschool should be a required part of every child’s curriculum.

Preschools have interest in educating children in every way possible. A general goal is to "help children develop emotionally and socially by encouraging self-confidence, spontaneity, curiosity, and self discipline."(WC #6) Preschool is something every parent should consider. It gives children a professional education and a head start. They can send their kids daily or once or twice a week. It is important that they are enrolled and attend on a regular basis.

A very obvious way that preschool helps children is scholastically. They have a head start over other children their age that don’t go to preschool. Schools try to "improve children’s mental processes and skills, in particular, conceptual and verbal skills." (WC #8) Improvement over other children is generally noticed starting in kindergarten. They’ve had experience in the classroom setting and don’t have such a hard time as the others in knowing what is expected from their teachers. Children who have been enrolled in preschool understand how to work better in a school setting, while a child who has not gone to preschool might have a hard time understanding what is going on, and have a hard time doing simple tasks.

Other great skills learned in preschool are social skills, which helps them to teach each other. Children learn to "establish patterns and expectations of success for children that will give them confidence for future learning efforts." (WC #6). They become more aware of what is going on in the world and are encouraged to pursue and explore different aspects of society. They know what it feels like to do good on an assignment and be congratulated, and will seek the positive attention from their classmates, teachers and family. Another objective of instilling social skills is to "develop in children and families a responsible attitude toward society and encouraging society to work with the poor in solving their problems."(WC #8) If children learn to help in their community and learn of all the different people and what some of their needs are, they can start at a young age to be aware and willing to help others. It is important for students to learn this before entering kindergarten so that they can know how to help other children in areas they may be stronger in. For example, Joshua went to preschool and one of his classmates was named Christian. Christian had a Spanish speaking babysitter and hadn’t learned how to speak as well as other children, because he didn’t hear a lot of people speaking English. He needed someone to speak English to him so he could catch on. The preschool teacher made an extra special effort to help him, also being an example to the other kids, and Joshua understood how he could help his friend. Joshua went to kindergarten and one of his friends has similar circumstances, he understand that they could still be friends, even help him, by speaking with him. Things like this teach children to help others. This is essential because public kindergarten schools may have larger classes and teachers are unable to give as much individual attention. These are things children can do with strong social skills to help benefit them so they are able to help themselves and others achieve greater skills. Social skills are one thing that every child should have and will continuously develop throughout their lives, but it’s better the younger they start.

Social skills also help kids grow emotionally. When people communicate better, they express their emotions more effectively. It is very hard for a kid to leave their parents for the first time, especially when they enter an unfamiliar place with people they don’t know. It causes the children to adapt to them and emotionally they will grow stronger. Going to preschool prepares them to enter kindergarten easier and not be so afraid. Having smaller classes and more attention is a key goal for preschools, so that every child feels welcome and ready to learn. This is so important because the teacher isn’t going to be able to hold every child, and so those that are already prepared can be a good example to the others. If they’ve already adjusted, it also helps the teacher give more attention to the other kids. If children have good emotional skills, they will be able to express themselves positively which will benefit them in school. Many children are very shy and timid entering kindergarten and they can’t handle certain situations. They usually get really upset and want to go home, just because they don’t know how to deal with those scary or uncomfortable tasks. One child was so afraid to use scissors, he’d have the girl that sat next to him cut everything for him. If she wasn’t there, he’d leave, because he was too afraid to do it himself. Teachers assume that children should be ready to perform such easy tasks, but he wasn’t, and he wasn’t able to express his problem to his teacher because it upset him so much. It is very important for children to have emotional skills developed. They know what to do when they get scared and are able to deal with most of their problems. This is only possible when the children are aware of emotions and how to deal with and overcome ones that they don’t like. A good opportunity for this is in preschool where they are feeling many different emotions and don’t know how to deal with them, but will have more attention from teachers that can help them.

The goal for preschools and childrens physical development is to "improve children’s physical health and physical abilities."(WC #7). Many children attend preschool all day, and it is important for them to learn to eat and be healthy. At lunch time, they are taught the importance of the healthy food they eat and how it will make them strong. They are given lessons in nutrition, and then have a good example at meal time, and are able to apply it. They have snacks throughout the day, but they are also low in fat and healthy. Children benefit from learning these things while they are younger, so they can learn to live a healthy lifestyle. They will be able to try different foods which gives them the variety they need. When children stay at home, many of their parents don’t have time to fix them very nutritious foods, but just food out of a box, which isn’t very healthy. This is okay every once in a while, but when it’s everyday, the children are bound to gain weight and be unhealthy. This can be a bad example to them throughout their lives, and makes them unhealthy at a young age.

Preschool children also have activities to play outside. Every time they go out they can use bikes, slides, teeter-totters, and many other things. They have so many things to choose from, that they can stay busy the whole time, and enjoy it. They get a better chance of improving their motor skills because of the toys and kids they play with that they don’t have access to at home. This helps them develop different muscle skills and better coordination. Preschoolers learn about their body and the importance of keeping healthy and strong, and learning to apply it at a young age.

The importance of washing hands, being clean, and basic personal hygiene is also taught. This is important for them so that they won’t get sick as often, and it teaches them good manners. A lot of times they have songs to help them remember. Cleanliness is usually a pretty big focus which helps them prevent illness. They learn about different diseases and how to prevent them. This is beneficial to children and their classmates before they enter kindergarten and public school with so many other kids.

"Increasing the sense of dignity and self-worth within children and families," (WC #6) is one of the greatest things that they can learn. They try new things and feel good about themselves when they complete them. Having self esteem encourages children to try and experience new tasks because they know that they can do it. Having experience in being tested and working on different things is the best way that they can develop these skills. They become unafraid of what the other kids may say if they mess up and generally wouldn’t even care very much, or be embarrassed. If children have good self esteem, all other areas will improve. Self esteem will make them the best people that they can be, and is even better the younger that they get it. Self esteem cannot be taught as effectively at home, because they might feel good about themselves around their families, but once they get out and around others that don’t know them or what they can do, it could diminish. Being around other kids their age is an essential aspect in developing self esteem.

Karen hadn’t gone to preschool, but had always been a friendly and happy girl at home. When she started kindergarten her parents started noticing changes in her. She was a lot more quiet and didn’t seem as happy.

Karen came home one day with tear stained cheeks, "Mommy, those boys said that I was a "kindergarten baby"."

"Honey, just ignore them, I bet they tease all the kids your age."

"Well I don’t like it!"

Karen’s mother had a hard time getting her to go to school for a few weeks. This is something that would upset every kid, but not to such an extent. Kids need to associate with other kids and also learn that if someone makes fun of them, they shouldn’t let it upset them too much, and be able to go on and not be sad or feel bad. This definetly takes a lifetime to totally overcome, but helps to make it not so awful for a kid.

Preschool is also a good alternative for children whose parents aren’t at home, or aren’t able to take care of their children because they are so busy with other kids and activities. Preschool is better than having a babysitter all the time, because babysitters usually don’t teach the children, but just play with them. Many times the children aren’t played with and this really weakens them if all they do is watch movies, and sit around. When this happens, they get so absorbed in watching the television that when friends call they don’t want to play with them. Sometimes this makes children want to watch television rather than go outside and play games, using their imaginations. Babysitters can be good for occasional jobs, but not for all day on every day. Kids could learn so much in the amount of time they watch television, and preschool’s utilize time efficiently.

Preschool is better than day care because they get to learn a lot more. Usually they have play time, reading time, and also a time for singing and learning new concepts. Parents should take an opportunity to let their children go to preschool and get extra knowledge. It’s a good experience because of the large variety of things they are exposed to.

Many parents are probably nervous about taking their children to a school. To make sure it is a quality school, they should be acquainted with those that work there and how the children are treated. "A good preschool will be able to accommodate the wide variety of children’s temperaments with different types of play areas and activities."(WC #5) " Some things to look for in a preschool program include:

* A clear written statement of its goals and philosophy. Does it address all areas of children’s development, including social, emotional, intellectual and physical development?

* A balance of individual, small-group and large-group activities. Are they spontaneous as well as teacher-generated?

* Activities that encourage self-expression and help children develop the full-range of

motor skills.

* An attractive, spacious outdoor area for safe, vigorous physical activities and an adequate supply of equipment. Are children always supervised when outdoors?

* Are teachers engaged with the children most of the time?

*Materials that reflect cultural diversity and non-sexist attitudes.

* Nutritious and varied snacks and meals if they are provided.

* Teachers trained in early childhood education.

* An experienced director. Does he or she have experience?

* A ratio of adults to children that complies with state requirements?

* A staff that has been stable over the years.

* A staff that welcomes parents as visitors and participants, communicates regularly

with them, and respects their preferences and ideas." (WC #3)

If parents still aren’t comfortable, they could start a neighborhood preschool. This can also be an alternative if parents don’t have enough money to send their children to public preschools. Neighborhood preschools can be very good for the children if it is well scheduled. Parents should get together and plan who is going to teach, or if they all switch off days. They should plan what they want the children to learn so things aren’t repeated. These can include writing, math, science experiments, physical fitness and art. It is important that it is well planned out so that the children are learning the most they can before entering kindergarten.

Children can develop so much in one year of preschool, and it makes such a difference as they begin kindergarten at a public school. A kindergarten teacher said, "Children entering my class, who have had preschool, especially Head Start, are better adjusted" (WC #8). There is so much learned that it needs to be mandatory so kids don’t miss out. Head Start is already available to children in low income families. This is free for the families, and gives their kids a chance that they might not have otherwise.

If the government funded these for all children, they would all have a greater chance to do better in school. Preschool improves children lives so much that it needs to be required. Many teachers have noticed the differences between children that attended preschool, and those who didn’t. It is a remarkable difference in the way they interact with the other children. They don’t have such a hard time getting along with the other children, because they’ve already been taught how to behave at school. Things like this are expected to be taught in the home, though frequently aren’t. Many of the expectations of children entering kindergarten aren’t being met, except in those children who attended preschool. Government funding would allow more children to attend, and would ultimately benefit the government. "Focusing on early intervention preschools for these children may prevent more expensive intervention later in life."(WC #2) Parents should contact their local government officials to see how they can help to support government funding for preschool so that all children are able to attend.

There have been multiple studies that confirm the benefits of preschool. "Educational support and early intervention in the first years of life have a dramatic effect on the success of children in school and in life. This has been demonstrated by experience and research."(WC #2) A study done on 27 year olds found:

* significantly higher monthly earnings at age 27.

* significantly higher percentages of home ownership.

* a significantly higher percentage of schooling completed.

* a significantly lower percentage receiving social services at some time in the previous

10 years.

* significantly fewer arrests by age 27

* the males in the program had significantly higher monthly earnings at age 27.(WC #1)

Preschool is an important opportunity for all children. The enrollment rate is increasing, in 1965, just 5% of 3-year-olds attended preschool. Today, 41% of 3-year-olds regularly attend a center based program(WC #4), but there are still many children who don’t have the opportunity to attend preschool. Conclusions in the High/Scope Perry Preschool Study prove that "children’s participation in a high-quality active learning preschool program at ages 3 and 4 created the framework for adult success. The lifetime economic benefits to the preschool program participants, their families, and the community far outweigh the economic cost of their high-quality, active learning preschool program."(WC #1)

Preschools not only encourage kids to be better students, but have such a better chance of learning many new things that cannot be taught anywhere else. "The children are the future and young children are its promise. It is therefore imperative that we focus attention on early childhood education."(WC #6) Preschool should be mandatory for all children so that they can be ready for kindergarten and get the best education possible.

A Summary of Significant Benefits: The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 27. http://www.tyc.state.tx.us./prevention/hiscope.htm

Saskatchewan Government News Release. http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/1996

Sep/439.96091602.html

How to Choose A Preschool Program. http://www.parenting-qa.com/cgi-bin/

detail/care/preschool/3801.core.tipsfact

10 Signs of a Great Preschool From the National Association for the Education of Young Children. http:ericps.ed.uiuc.edu/npin/respar/texts/chldcare/signs397.html

Families Plus: Child Care. http://www.parenting-qa.com/cgi-bin/detail/care/

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Early Education in the Public Schools, by Penny Hauser-Cram. Jossey-Bass publishers, San Francisco, CA 1984.

A Resource Guide to Public School Early Childhood Programs, edited by, Cynthia Warger. ASCD, Alexandria VA. 1988.

Ready to Learn, by Ernest L. Boyer. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Princeton, NJ 1991.

Children Exploring Their World, by Sean A. Walmsky. Heinemann. Portsmouth NH. 1994.

EDUCATION: Preschool Education. http://www.israel.org/facts/edu/feduc2.

html

Pre-School is not Mandatory. http://www.thebabynet.com/babyboard/

messages/10112.html

4 Myths on Pre-School Education. http://yin.interaccess.com/~dfroula/steve/

Preschool.html

How Can I Find a High Quality Preschool Program?, by Lilean G. Katz. http://ericps.

ed.uiuc.edu/npin/respar/texts/chldcare/howfind.html

Disney Online-NY-Is Three Too Young for Preschool?: The Parent Adviser, by Jan Faull.

http://family.disney.com/Categories/Parenting/Features/family_1997_11.../dony117fareadypreskul

Into to Early Childhood Education, class taught at UVSC, fall 1997, Professor Phil Roberson, Text: Essa.